In conclusion of a new study commissioned by the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE), two-thirds of the 2,000 university students surveyed agree that an educational institution’s facilities is crucial to choosing a place of study; making it the third-year where libraries and IT hubs came out on top and beating facilities such as entertainment and social establishments.
Quality of accommodation also continues to remain a top priority, with 57 per cent affirming that living standards played a crucial role in their final university choice; as well as the actual course itself (79 per cent), location (69 per cent), and academic ranking (44 per cent).
AUDE chair and director of estates and facilities at the University of Surrey, Trevor Humphreys, said of the findings: “Effective estate management is key to ensuring that higher education institutions deliver the best possible student experience, both academically and socially, so it’s encouraging to know that despite many sector challenges a very high level of students feel their university offers clean and well-maintained buildings.”
